Poultry News

Brasil Foods to Help Develop Haitian Poultry Sector

15 August 2013

HAITI - Brasil Foods is to establish operations in Haiti and to develop the poultry industry there.

In São Paulo, Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist, Mohammed Yunus, recently announced an investment in the Brazilian food production giant, Brasil Foods (BRF), to establish operations in Haiti and develop its poultry industry after a feasibility study in rural and urban processing and research on animal genetics and technology of food for birds was undertaken.

In May, Defend of Haiti reported that Mr Yunus, called the "banker to the poor", made the announcement earlier this week during the Social Business and Corporate Investment Conference. BRF, is the world's 10th largest food company and Brazil's second largest company in terms of revenue. It was founded in 2009.

According to Mr Yunus: "Businesses and people can invest in good ideas that can solve problems and, with good ideas, we'll follow the money to fund them.

"Many companies have shown interest in the past to make partner, but so far none has materialised. BRF was the first that did and so today I'm here," he said.

The Grameen Bank, that specialises in small loans and says its aim is to eradicate poverty, will serve in Haiti through Yunus' Grameen Foundation. Along with the Brazilian food production giant, a complex for creating and processing birds will be built.

BRF's Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Wilson Mello, said that a feasibility study of the project had already taken place to see if the project would be "successful" in the Caribbean nation devastated by the 2010 earthquake.

Mr Mello, according to Terra, said that the studies included work in rural and urban processing, and research on animal genetics and technology of food for the birds, reports Defend.

The newspaper reports that the size of the initial investment in the project has not been made public but it is said that BRF will be in charge of the development through a joint venture with the Grameen Bank.

"The profits of the initiative will not go to BRF and will go towards development of the productive chain of the country so that the Haitian people have a supply of better quality," said Mr Mello.